The invention disclosed herein relates generally to tape handling apparatus, particularly a tape advancing system which selectively advances tape in a plurality of directions and to components thereof, and more particularly to a system and components thereof for advancing tape either to a moistener device or to bypass the moistener device. The invention relates further to a moistener device for moistening the tape to activate a glue thereon.
It is desirable for a mailing machine to process different sizes and types of mail quickly and efficiently. It is also desirable for a mailing machine to imprint postage and like indicia either directly on the mail piece or on a tape strip which is thereafter affixed to a mail piece that may be too large or too irregularly shaped to imprint postage indicia directly thereon. Moreover, for high-speed operation, it is desirable that the mailing machine selectively imprint either the mail piece or a tape without shutting down the machine to changeover from imprinting mail pieces to tape and vice versa. It is also desirable for a mailing machine to imprint different types of tape, for example, a tape having a water-activated adhesive and a tape having a pressure-sensitive adhesive.